When looking to order flowers and have them delivered, the first company to come to mind is probably 1-800-Flowers. Undoubtedly, it’s one of the biggest flower retailers in the industry right now, and it’s clear that the company has a reputation ahead of it. That being said, 1-800-Flowers has polarizing reviews from different people—some loyal customers highly recommend them, while there are those with horror stories of receiving wilted flowers.
As such, you’re probably confused whether you should order from 1-800-Flowers or look for another well-known flower delivery service. In this review, we’ll lay down everything we know about 1-800-Flowers and what we’ve noticed about the company.
What Kind of Flowers Will You Find?
Needless to say that 1-800-Flowers has an extensive selection of gift baskets, flowers, and food items. In fact, the company even offers keepsake gifts, which are personalized or specialty gifts that are unique and perfect for giving to friends and family. 1-800-Flowers gives you the option to order flowers ahead of time, but if you’re in a hurry, you can even order bouquets for same-day deliveries. If you’re a massive fan of the company and swear by its service, you can even sign yourself up for regular gift deliveries annually.
That being said, it’s worth noting that 1-800-Flowers has two methods of delivery. The first method is where the flowers come from a local florist, while the second one has your flowers come in a box. When you browse through 1-800-Flowers’ inventory, make sure you check the purple print under the price because it will indicate what kind of method will be used.
Local Florists
1-800-Flowers collaborated with different local florists worldwide to deliver bouquets that are already pre-designed. In other words, you don’t have to worry about the flower arrangement because the local florist will do it for you. When the florist arrives at your door, you’ll receive a beautiful bouquet like no other. This method of delivery works very similarly to when you order flowers straight from your local florist. The flowers will come with a vase, and if substitutions need to be made, the florist will hopefully call you.
However, this isn’t always the case. Among the 1800 Flowers reviews, we noticed one customer who said that they received a completely different bouquet from what they ordered. Albeit the bouquet itself was still gorgeous, it still doesn’t erase the fact that it wasn’t what they were expecting. Plus, the company nor the florist didn’t call to explain what happened with the order. Perhaps there was some kind of technical error, or maybe there was no stock of the ordered flowers—still, the fact that there was no call to give a heads up is definitely disappointing.
Box-Delivered Flowers Aren’t That Impressive
As mentioned, the second method of delivery is when the flowers come in a gift box instead of hand-delivered bouquets via local florists. For this order, the company will ship the flowers to wherever you want them delivered. However, the delivery times vary depending on where they’re being delivered to in the United States. As such, it could take days before you receive the box.
Unlike the first delivery method, box-delivered flowers aren’t pre-arranged, and you’ll need to pay extra if you want a vase to come along with it. Basically, the flowers will come with instructions (which is great for those who are new to flower arrangements), along with full stems and plant food. Most of the time, 1-800-Flowers will send you flowers that are still in bud form, so you’ll have to wait a bit for them to bloom fully.
We prefer the other method of delivery because there’s a lot of manual work involved when you get the boxed flowers. You have to feed, cut, and arrange the stems yourself, and you’re basically paying the same price if you just got a florist to arrange it for you. On the bright side, box-delivered flowers last a bit longer compared to the hand-delivered ones. This could be a great option for those who enjoy arranging flowers or are experts at it already because you could end up with an underwhelming bouquet.
Hidden Charges
While it’s completely expected for an online flower retailer to have hidden charges, you have to prepare about $15-$45 extra for 1-800-Flowers for delivery and service fees. It doesn’t matter whether you order from a local florist or get flowers in a box—the service fees will still be the same. If you want to make sure you’ll receive a rush delivery, the extra fees could reach up to $30 or even more. You should definitely consider the company’s hidden fees and add them to your budget if you plan on getting flowers online.
Conclusion
Overall, should you order flowers from 1-800-Flowers? Despite a few errors here and there, 1-800-Flowers is still one of the best online flower delivery services out there. A bouquet of flowers is always a welcome addition to any home or office and receiving them always puts a smile on anyone’s face. If you want to receive a gorgeous arrangement from the get-go, we recommend you get the hand-delivered flowers. After all, florists know what they’re doing. But if you’re feeling adventurous, box-delivered flowers could be worth considering if you have a lot of free time.
